Fromage Blanc

Description

Fromage Blanc in a fresh spreadable cheese. This fresh cheese has a distinct tangy flavor with a mild lemon finish. It can be easily substituted for cream cheese or ricotta in both sweet and savory dishes.

Applications/Techniques

In France, it most often appears on menus simply served with honey. However, the cheese is very versatile and can be used in dozens of culinary applications-spread on crackers, bagels, toast and bruschetta; broiled on top of sourdough bread; used in frittatas and other egg dishes; added to pastas and pizzas; served with smoked salmon; paired with fresh fruits-apples, pears and strawberries and would be excellent in cheesecakes.

History

Orland Farmstead Fromage Blanc. The dairy, located in Orland, Ca. uses fresh, raw milk from their small herd of Holstein cows to produce this cheese. The milk is first pasteurized at the dairy, an active lactose culture is added, then vegetable rennet to coagulate the curd-standard cheese making procedures. The fresh cheese is bagged and hung on racks where the whey and curd separate, then the curd is strained into containers, the entire process taking 36 hours. Fromage Blanc is a soft, creamy spreadable cheese originating in northern France, where it is more commonly known as fromage frais-'fresh cheese'-fromage blanc means 'white cheese'. This fresh cheese has a distinct tangy flavor with a mild lemon finish. It can be easily substituted for cream cheese or ricotta in both sweet and savory dishes. In France, it most often appears on menus simply served with honey. However, the cheese is very versatile and can be used in dozens of culinary applications-spread on crackers, bagels, toast and bruschetta; broiled on top of sourdough bread; used in frittatas and other egg dishes; added to pastas and pizzas; served with smoked salmon; paired with fresh fruits-apples, pears and strawberries and would be excellent in cheesecakes.